Unit 2 Text A

1. 21st Century College English: Book 2 Unit 2 Text A Why They Excel

2. Intensive Study Text A: Why They Excel by  Fox Butterfield

3. Intensive Study Why They Excel by Fox Butterfield 1 Kim-Chi Trinh was just nine when her father used his savings to buy a passage for her on a fishing boat that would carry her from Vietnam. It was a heartbreaking and costly sacrifice for the family, placing Kim-Chi on the small boat, among strangers, in hopes thatshe would eventually reach the United States, where she would get a good education and enjoy a better life. How do you paraphrase the sentence “It was a heartbreaking and costly sacrifice for the family” ? Key words: Kim-Chi , the United States, receive good education , enjoy a better life.

4. in hope that…… • e.g. • He went to country to live in hope that he could live a simple and quiet life after retirement. • Oliver took up painting in hope that he could overcome the grief caused by political failure. Drill: To make sentences according to the pictures • She bought two Weight Reducing books in hope that she could become slim / lose weight.

5. Intensive Study 2It was a hard journey for the little girl, and full of risks. Long before the boat reached safety, the supplies of food and water ran out. When Kim-Chi finally made it to the US, she had to cope witha succession of three foster families. But when she graduated from San Diego’s Patrick Henry High School in 1988, she had straight A’s and scholarship offers from some of the most prestigious universities in the country. 3“I have to do well,” says the 19-year-old, now a second-year student at Cornell University. “I owe it to my parents in Vietnam.” Key words: Hard journey , foster family, graduate from, high school, straight A’s , scholarship, owe to parents

6. Drill: Could you make sentences by using more than one phrase according to the following pictures. full of risks run out ( of) cope with owe to a succession of graduate from made it (to spl.) Because of a succession of injuries caused by roller skate, students are forbidden to play with it for its being full of risks. Mary ran out of petrol, so she and her husband couldn’t make it to their home. Li Wei graduated from Beijing university successfully owing to his hard working .

7. Intensive Study 4 Kim-Chi is part of a wave of bright, highly-motivated Asian-Americans who are suddenly surging into our best colleges. Although Asian-Americans make up only 2.4 percent of the nation’ population, they constitute 17.1 percent of the undergraduates at Harvard, 18 percent at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and 27.3 percent at the University of California at Berkeley. 5Why are Asian-Americans doing so well? Are they grinds, as some stereotypes suggest? Do they have higher IQs? Or can we learn a lesson from them about values we have long treasured but may have misplaced – like hard work, the family and education? Key words: Asian-Americans , make up, 2.4 percent , nation’s population, best colleges , not low, learn lesson, values, hard work, family, education

8. Intensive Study • Intensive Reading • Objectives of Ability Training • Practice your ability to memorize and summarize • the main content. • Students can retell the main content of each • paragraph according to the key words. • Students could paraphrase some key phrases and • make sentences by using these phrases. • Students could complete related exercises • correctly

9. Answer the following questions with no more than six words • Why did Kim-chi’s parents send her to the United States.? • 1._______________________________ • 2. _______________________________ • Did Kim-chi work hard? How do you know that? • _______________________________

10. 3. Why did Kim-chi work so hard? • _______________________________ • 4. What motivated Asian-American to work hard? • _______________________________ • 5. How do Asian-American think of being labeled “model minority” • _______________________________

11. Intensive Study 6Not all Asians are doing equally well; poorly-educated Cambodian refugee children, for instance, often need special help. And many Asian-Americans resent being labeled a “model minority,” feeling that this is reverse discrimination by white Americans – a contrast tothe laws that excluded most Asian immigrants from the US until 1965, but prejudice nevertheless. The husband is a great contrast to his wife. Key words: Not all, refugee children, special help, resent, model minority ,reverse discrimination

12. Intensive Study 7The young Asians’ achievements have led toa series of fascinating studies. Perhaps the most disturbing results come from the research carried out by a University of Michigan psychologist, Harold W. Stevenson, who has comparedmore than 7,000 students in kindergarten, first grade, third grade and fifth grade in Chicago and Minneapolis with counterparts in Beijing, Taipei and Sendai. On a battery of math tests, the Americans did worst at all grade levels. 8 Stevenson found no differences in IQ. But if the differences in performance are showing up in kindergarten, it suggests something is happening in the family, even before the children get to school. Key words: studies, carry out, psychologist, compare 7000 students, Chicago, Minneapolis, Beijing, Taipei, Sendai, Americans, did worse , difference, kindergarten, suggest, something, happen, family

13. Drill: Practicing translating the following sentences. 1. 经济危机引发了一系列问题. Economic crisis leads to a series of issues. 2. 教授所做的这项研究旨在对比亚洲移民和非洲移民. The research carried out by the professor aims at comparing Asian immigrants with African immigrants.

14. Intensive Study 9 It is here that various researchers’ different studies converge: Asian parents are motivating their children better. “The bottom line is, Asian kids work hard,” Stevenson says. 10 The real question, then, is how Asian parents imbue their offspring with this kind of motivation. Stevenson’s study suggests a critical answer. When asked why they think their children do well, most Asian parents said “hard work.” By contrast, American parents said “talent.” Key words: various researchers , agree, Asian parents, motivate, children , better, bottom line, work hard Chinese parents, work hard, American parents, talent

15. by contrast adv. on the contrary by contrast to (here contrast is a noun.) • e.g. • She had almost failed the exam, but her sister, by contrast, had done very well. • By contrast to the central plains, the coastal areas have mild winters. (what does it mean?) Drill: To make sentences according to the pictures • Other parents like to discipline their children, by contrast, he seldom controls his child . • By contrast to other parents, he seldom controls his child .

16. Intensive Study 11 “From what I can see,” criticizes Stevenson, “we’ve lost our faith in the idea that we can all get ahead in life through hard work. Instead, Americans now believe that some kids have what it takes and some don’t. So we start dividing up classes into‘fast learners’ and ‘slow learners’, whereas the Chinese and Japanese feel all children can succeed in the same curriculum.” Key words: Lose faith in, get ahead, hard work, Chinese, Japanese , feel, succeed in, same curriculum

17. Drill: Practicing translating the following sentences. • 无论在什么情况下你都要相信自己一定能够克服 • 困难. No matter in what kind of situation, you shouldn’t lose faith in the idea that you can overcome difficulties. 2. 领先是难的，要保持领先就更难. It's difficult to get ahead but more difficult to remain ahead.

18. Intensive Study 12This belief in hard work is the first of three main factors contributing to Asian students’ outstanding performance. It springs from Asians’ common heritage of Confucianism, the philosophy of the 5th-century-BC Chinese sage whose teachings have had a profound influence on Chinese society. One of Confucius’s primary teachings is that through effort, people can perfect themselves. Key words: Hard work, three main factors, contribute to , outstanding performance, Confucianism, had a profound influence, Chinese society, primary teaching, effort, perfect themselves

19. Drill: Practicing translating the following sentences. • 每周背至少50个单词有助于扩大词汇量，提高阅读能力. To memorize at least 50 words will contribute to enlarging vocabulary and enhancing reading ability. 2. 与美国建立友好合作关系对中美两国有着深远影响. To establish friendly and cooperative relationship with America has a profound influence on China and America.

20. Intensive Study 13Confucianism provides another important ingredient in the Asians’ success as well. In Confucian philosophy, the familyplays a centralrole — an orientation that leads people to work for the honor of the family, not just for themselves. One can never repay one’s parents, and there’s a sense of obligation or even guilt that is as strong a force among Asians as Protestant philosophy is in the West. Key words: Another ingredient, family, play a central role, lead people to, the honor of the family

21. Play the/a leading role (in) Play the/a central role (in) Play the/an important role (in) Drill:Practicing translating the following sentences. • 口语练习在提高英语成绩方面有很重要的作用. Oral practicing plays an important role in improving English grades . 2. 优秀的员工在企业发展中起着主导作用. Excellent employees/ staffs play the leading role in the development of enterprise.

22. Intensive Study 14There’s yet another major factor in this bond between Asian parents and their children. During the 15 years I lived in China, Japan, and Vietnam, I noticed that Asian parents establish a closer physical tie to their infants than most parents in the United States. When I let my baby daughter crawl on the floor, for example, my Chinese friends were horrified and rushed to pick her up. We think this constant attention is old-fashioned or even unhealthy, but for Asians, it’s highly effective. Key words: another major factor, Asian parents and their children , establish, physical tie, constant attention , old-fashioned, unhealthy, highly effective

23. Intensive Study 15Can we learn anything from the Asians? “I’m not naive enough to think everything in Asia can be transplanted,” says Stevenson. But he offered three recommendations. 16 “To start with,” he says, “we need to set higher standards for our kids. We wouldn’t expect them to become professional athletes without practicing hard.” 17 Second, American parents need to become more committed to their children’s education, he declares. “Being understanding when a child doesn’t do well isn’t enough.” Stevenson found that Asian parents spend more time helping their children with homework or writing to their teachers than American parents do.

24. Intensive Study 18 And, third, our schools could be reorganized in simple but effective ways, says Stevenson. Nearly 90 percent of Chinese youngsters say they actually enjoy school, and 60 percent can’t wait for school vacations to end. This is a vastly more positive attitude than youngsters in the US express. One reason may be that students in China and Japan typically have a break after each class, helping them to relax and to increase their attention spans.

25. Intensive Study 19“I don’t think Asians are any smarter,” says Don Lee, an Asian-American student at Berkeley. “There are brilliant Americans in my chemistry class. But the Asian students work harder. I see a lot of wasted potential among the Americans.” (975 Words)

26. passagen. — (cost of a ticket for) a journey by ship or plane from one place to another • e.g. • He is too poor to afford a passage home. • Oliver has booked a passage to New York.

27. in hope that…… • e.g. • He went to country to live in hope that he could live a simple and quiet life after retirement. • Oliver took up painting in hope that he could overcome the grief caused by political failure. Drill: To make sentences according to the pictures • She bought two Weight Reducing books in hope that she could become slim / lose weight.

28. safetyn. —a place where one is safe from a particular danger • e.g. • The firefighters were busy helping survivors to safety. • They ran to safety, away from the fire.

29. make it (to somewhere) —succeed in getting somewhere usu. in time to do sth., or in doing sth.,or getting sth. wanted • e.g. • Despite the heavy rain, she made itto the airport just in time to catch her plane. • After failing three times in the exams, Jack feels he will never make it in computer. Translate 你能准时来参加会议吗？ Key Will you be able to make it to the meeting on time?

30. cope with —manage successfully; be able to deal with (sth. difficult, unpleasant, etc.) • e.g. • Poor families have to cope with a lot of problems. • cope with the water shortage/ his rival / the budget deficit

31. owe … to — have (sth. good) because of (sth./sb.) • e.g. • I owe my knowledge of music to my mother. • I owe it to my friends that I have been able to finish this work.

32. a wave of — an unusually large number of • e.g. • a wave of new comers • a wave of buying • a wave of terrorism 大量的新来者 一阵抢购的狂潮 一股恐怖主义的浪潮 More to learn

33. Kim-Chi is part of a wave of bright, highly-motivated Asian-Americans who are suddenly surging into our best colleges. Paraphrase: ? Kim-Chi is part of a wave of brilliant, ambitious Asian immigrants who are rushing into our best colleges.

34. stereotype n. — a fixed general image, characteristic, etc. that is believed to represent a particular type of person or thing • e.g. • Young and modern, she does not fit the stereotype of a woman who spends all her time doing housework. • What’s the stereotype of a grind? More to learn

35. … as some stereotypes suggest? Paraphrase: ? like the general impression created by some typical Asian Americans

36. labelv. — put into a particular kind or class; describe as • e.g. • His neighbors labeled him a thief. • He waslabeled a snob. Translate 对手将他描述为奶油小生。 Key His rival labeled him a cream puff.

37. Text-related information U.S. immigration laws against Asians Asians’ overseas migration has been limited by both natural and artificial factors. The Chinese, earliest to arrive, and the Japanese were long victims of racial discrimination. They suffered from the discriminatory laws that limited and excluded the Asian immigrants from the United States. The Chinese Exclusive Act in 1882 suspended Chinese immigration for 10 years. In 1965, a law was passed to allow immigrants from Asia to the United States.

38. counterpart n. — a person or thing that has a similar function or position in another place or organization • e.g. • the Foreign Minister and hisFrenchcounterpart • the Prime Minister and his European counterparts • the English Merchant Bank and its American counterpart, the Wall Street Investment Bank

39. converge vi. — (tend to) become similar or identical • e.g. • Our previously opposed views are beginning to converge. • Their ideas seem to be converging. More to learn

40. It is here that various researchers’ different studies converge… The structure it is/was … that/who … can be used to emphasize the main point of a sentence. • e.g. • The various studies converge here. • → It is here that the various studies converge. • We made all these sacrifices for you. • → It was for you that we made all these sacrifices. More to do

41. It is here that various researchers’ different studies converge… • Drills • Rewrite the sentences below as it is/was … that/who … sentences. The idea to be emphasized in each one appears in colored letters. • We organized this volunteer group for the benefit of the old people in the neighborhood. • We realize how far we have come only when we look back. • 3. His secretary does all the work. It was for the benefit of the old people in the neighborhood that we organized this volunteer group. It is only when we look back that we realized how far we have come. It is his secretary who does all the work. More to learn

42. It is here that various researchers’ different studies converge… Paraphrase: ? It is on this point that various researchers’ different studies become identical.

43. bottom line — the deciding or crucial factor; the essential point • e.g. • The bottom line is that we need another ten thousand dollars to complete the project.

44. imbue with — fill … with …(a kind of idea, feeling, etc.) • e.g. • She tries toimbue her husband with a sense of responsibility. • She tries to imbue her children with sympathy. Translate Churchill tried hard to imbue Englishmen with patriotism. Key 丘吉尔努力地激起英国人的爱国心。

45. have what it takes —have the right qualities or skills required for success • e.g. • I don’t think Rebecca has what it takes to be a ballet dancer. • Do you have what it takes to become a general manager? More to learn

46. …, Americans now believe that some kids have what it takes and some don’t. Paraphrase: ? Americans now think that some kids have the right qualities required for success and some don’t.

47. whereas conj. —while at the same time; while on the contrary • e.g. • The elephant weighs about 3,600 kg. • The blue whale weighs up to 130,000 kg. Whereas the elephant weighs about 3,600 kg, the blue whale weighs up to 130,000 kg. More to do

48. whereas conj. —while at the same time; while on the contrary • Drills • Combine the following sentences using the conjunction whereas. • The word “youngster” has a cheerful connotation. • “Offspring” sounds rather clinical. • Confucianism emphasizes family ties. • Protestantism teaches individual responsibility. Whereas the word “youngster” has a cheerful connotation, “offspring” sounds rather clinical. Whereas Confucianism emphasizes family ties, Protestantism teaches individual responsibility.

49. spring from — result from; have one’s origin in • e.g. • Her doubts spring from too much experience of failure. • Her unhappiness springs from her pursuit of fame and wealth.

50. tie n. —a connection, relationship, or feeling that links a person with another person, a place, etc. • e.g. • The tie between mother and child • I no longer feel any ties with my hometown. More to learn